Hell or...High-water

March 19, 2010

By Anonymous

Image Credit: Mary W., McLean, VA

The author's comments:

Drug-related activities are common where I live. I figured I'd say something about it.

Hell or… The air is polluted with the wintry cold and stony silence of the night. Clouds masquerade the dark sky, hiding the moon and stars from sight. Streetlights illuminate a solitary road winding through an abandoned town with boarded up windows and empty buildings. Littering the ground are broken glass, garbage and twisted pieces of rusty metal. Even in the calm of the night, the landscape is dead. Not just dead, mutilated until the point of ugliness and imbued with despair. All the while a lone car now enters the depressing scene, a battered up 1986 Chevy with a rough paint job and discolored parts. It slowly pulls to a stop in front of a certain deserted building in the heart of the town; on the side are surprisingly other vehicles hidden in the shadows. The doors of the car open up and two teenagers exit out, dressed in baggy clothing suited for members of a gang. One of them turns to the other and begins talking in a low voice; it is obvious that he is worried about something. “I still got a bad feeling about this man. Something just ain’t right...What if they don’t like what we’re slinging?” He whispered hoarsely, wiping his forehead clean of sweat and looking around in paranoia. “Will you shut up already, Styx?! You’ve been flapping your gums the whole way here and it’s starting to really p*** me off. So knock it off!” His friend snapped back. Opening the trunk of his car, he starts pulling out a blue duffel bag. “But I’m serious Stones! We’re not dealing with Billy Mays here; we’re dancing with some hardcore salesmen! If we screw this up, we might lose our heads!” Styx blurted out, “I can already see them writing our epitaphs man, we’re goners! We are total goners!” “Styx, shut up!” Stones hissed, “If you keep talking this loud, we’ll be dead even sooner!” “But I’m scared Stones, I’m really, really scared! I’ve been shaking the whole way here, haven’t you seen me?” “How can I not? You were shaking so much, I thought my car suddenly grew hydraulics.” “But what do we do if they don’t let us leave, huh? I mean, don’t you have a Plan B?” Styx asked nervously. “Listen, Styx. Listen to me! We’re on the verge of earning some serious coin. Are you telling me you’re gonna pull a Judas on me?” “What’s a Judas?” “Styx, I need you more than ever man. Listen, if this shines through and we get paid, we won’t have to deal for a long time. I promise you that. Ok?” Stones pleaded, his hands clasping together. The two friends were silent for a while before Styx managed to speak. “…So are we going in? Let’s get this over with before I freeze my nuts out here.” “That’s the Godot I’m waiting for. Let’s get our money.” Stones smiled. The two companions then entered the abandoned building. High-water “PUT IT DOWN RIGHT NOW!” Styx screamed at the top of his lungs. His knuckles whitened as he gripped the handgun tightly. In the center of a dimly lit room, where only a light bulb and its string dangles from the ceiling, there are countless men pointing guns at each other. Stones is lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood, a machete protruding from his chest. A Mexican standoff ensues, with weapons at nearly every orifice of the area. “He’s right Carlos! Put the gun away and we can sort this out!” An African man with a jagged scar across his face reasoned, he was pointed a revolver at another man. “Not a chance, Skitty! That piece of **** on the floor was wearing a wire; chances are this one is too! He knows too much, we gotta get rid of him!” Carlos snarled, his few gold teeth shining dark. “But even if we do kill him now, the cops are already on their way! We’ve gotta go, now!” Skitty replied. Suddenly, he quickly changed the direction of his gun to another person who pressed their pistol against the back of Carlos’ head. “What are you’re doing Naka!” “You set us up, didn’t you Carlos! I knew you couldn’t be trusted!” An Asian man in an expensive suit replied. His slick black hair was now losing its luster. Carlos turned his head, the look on his face was vicious. “What the hell are you talking about?!” “You set up the deal with these two rats! Meaning you’re an FBI informant. You’re trying to take us all out so you can keep all the money! But I won’t let that happen!” Naka yelled. “Are you nuts?!” Carlos shrieked back, he pointed towards Styx, “This little freak is the snitch, not me!” “I’ll kill you! I swear to God I’ll kill you right now if you don’t point that thing somewhere else!” Styx shouted. “What’s a matter pussy-cat?! Are you mad that I killed your punk girlfriend of a cop?” Carlos teased. “I didn’t know Stones had a wire, alright?! You’re the one who gutted him with a knife, not me!” “So what?! You’re already dead rat-freak, don’t you understand? You’re already dead!” “You first Carlos!” “Naka, stop!” “I’ll kill you, I’ll freaking kill you!” The light bulb shattered from a stray shot as the entire room lit up in a hurricane of gunfire. Bodies are falling everywhere, blood splatters against the wall, shots left, right, up and down. Ceiling and walls penetrated by bullets, footfalls and screams and smoke infest the congested space like a disease in a crowded elevator. Then silence. No one leaves the building until the police arrive.

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